What is Spain’s tourist ban? Date and rule explored as city implements three-year ban

Spain is making headlines with new measures to curb overtourism, which has sparked global attention and divided opinions. Dubbed as a Spain tourist ban, these new restrictions aim to address growing concerns about the impact of excessive tourism on local communities.

Anti-tourism protests have swept across Spain recently, with demonstrations in hotspots like Mallorca, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands. Locals have raised concerns about rising rents, inflated food prices, housing shortages, environmental degradation, and the erosion of cultural identity due to an influx of short-term holiday rentals and an overwhelming number of visitors.

If you are wondering whether you can still book hotels and Airbnbs in Spain, you can! The recently introduced measures are not a blanket ban on all holiday rentals but rather an effort to regulate and limit the growth of new short-term rental properties.

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Spain tourist ban—dates and rules

Starting January 14, 2025, Malaga implemented a three-year ban on the registration of new holiday rental properties across 43 of its districts. This rule is aimed at reducing the number of short-term rental properties, particularly in areas where they constitute over 8% of residential buildings, as reported by Yahoo News.

Additionally, starting February 22, 2025, any existing tourist flats in Malaga that do not have independent access—separate from residential areas—will lose their operating licenses.

Malaga’s measures echo similar steps taken in Alicante and Madrid last year. Meanwhile, Barcelona has taken an even more aggressive approach. The city announced a plan to phase out all tourist flat licenses by 2028 and has not issued new licenses since 2014. Seville and other cities are expected to introduce similar restrictions in the near future.

Malaga’s council hopes the move will prevent overcrowding in its most densely populated districts while curbing the rapid rise of short-term rental properties. By limiting holiday accommodations, officials aim to make housing more affordable for residents and preserve the city’s cultural identity.

Currently, the 13,000 already-registered holiday rentals in Malaga City remain operational, ensuring that visitors have plenty of options to choose from. However, there are specific restrictions in place:

• Any tourist flats registered after February 22, 2025, that lack independent access separate from the residential portions of their buildings will have their licenses revoked.

This rule aims to address concerns from residents about shared spaces being overcrowded and disrupted.

As a country that attracts millions of tourists annually, Spain is at a crossroads, balancing the benefits of tourism with its negative impacts on local communities. These new regulations signal a shift toward sustainable tourism, ensuring that residents and visitors alike can enjoy Spain’s iconic destinations for years to come.